Draft connection for implements



Dec. l1, 1934. R G. E TOURNEAU- 1,983,860

DRAFT CONNECTION .FOR IMPLEMENTS Original' Filed Nov. 29, 1932 INVENTORR. GCLeTbLb/neaw ATTO RN EY Patented Dec. 11, 1934 UNITEosTATEs DRAFTCONNECTION FOR IMPLEIHENIIS` Robert G. Le Tourneau, Stockton, Calif.

Original application' November 29, 1932, Serial No. 644,783. Divided andthis application September l, 1933,]Serial No. 687,812

1 Claim.

This invention relates to draft connections for ground workingimplements and is a divisional application of my co-pending application,Serial No. 644,783, filed November 29, 1932. 5 The device 'of thispresent. invention is particularly suitable for heavy duty work such ason large rollers, Scrapers and the like, where the drawbar strain isconsiderable andwhere the parts, if not enclosed, are subject to theabrasive action of dirt.

The object of this invention `is toimount the draft eye on the tongue ofthe implement in such a, manner that the desired free swivel movement ofthe eye is obtained, while at. the .5 same time a close t of theeye-spindle in its bearings is mounted without any tendency to binding,and without the danger of the bearing surfaces becoming clogged withdirt etc.

A .further object of the invention is to produce a simple andinexpensive device andyet one which will be exceedingly effective `forthe purpose for which it is designed.-

'Ihese objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relativearrangement of parts 55 as will fully appear by'a perusalv of thefollowing specification and claim. In the drawing similar characters ofreference indicate corresponding parts in the several views: m Fig. 1 isa side elevation of an implement having my improved draft device appliedto the tongue of the same.

Fig. 2 is afragmentary longitudinal section of the tongue showing themounting of the swivel draft member 'in connection therewith..

Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal horizontal section of the device on the line 44of Fig. 2.-

: Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on thedrawing, the imple-V ment herewith shown comprises a roller 1 mounted ina frame 2 from which a rigid tongue 3 projects forwardly. .The form` andconstruction of the implementhowever, except the tongue, has no bearingon this invention. 'Ihe tongue is a hollow beam preferably ofrectangular cross section initially open at its forward end and built upin the same way as 0 on all the implements. manufactured .by me. At itsforward end this tongue is provided with a pair of axially alinedlongitudinally spaced bushings 4 which are removably tted into crossblocks 5 welded inside the tongue. These bush- 5 ings form the bearingsfor the spindle 6 of the ,swivel draft eye '7 by which connection with atractor is made. This eye is lpreferably a flat member rigid with andwider than the spindle so that it cannot be retracted into the tongue,said spindle being turnable in the bushings. In this manner it will beseen that the desired freedom of swivel action is had with thepossibility of a relatively close running fit being maintained betweenthe bushings and spindle and yet without any danger of the bearingsurfaces becoming clogged with dirt.

The spindle projects beyond the innermost bushing and is threaded alongsuch projecting portion,.as shown at 8. This portion is engaged by acollar which is in the form of a nut 9 split radially on one side, thesplit portions being drawn together by a bolt 10 therethrough. In thismanner a much more secure' grip on the shaft mayy be obtained than ispossible with the use of an ordinary collar and cross pin, while .it maybe removed or installed with greater ease.

The nut bears against the adjacent end of the adjacent bushing 4, whichis provided at said end with an outwardly projecting ange 11. Thisflange not only increases the thrust bearing area with the nut butprevents possible forward dislodgment of the bushing with a pull on thedraft eye. The forward bushing is similarly provided with a ange on itsforward end which bears against the adjacent end of the correspondingblock and limits the inward movement of said bushing. At the same timethe bushings are definitely held in place and `yet can be easilyremoved, when the spindle is withdrawn, by merely pulling them out oftheir blocks.

An opening 12 is provided in the tongue in the longitudinal plane of thecollar and on the same side as the bolt 10, so that the latter may bemanipulated when necessary. This opening is of sufficient size to permitthe with` drawal of either theadjacent bushing or the Said openingA isnormally closed by a removable cover plate 13, held in place by a bolt14 extending from side to side of the tongue lback of the spindle.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I haveproduced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of theinvention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred'construction of the de- `vice, still in vpractice such deviations fromsuch detail may be resorted to as do not form a 5 by Letters Patent is:f

A draft 'connection comprising a hollow solidfaced beam forming atongue, longitudinally spaced bearing blocks secured within the beam andforming a closed chamber therebetween,

10 one such block being at theouter end of the beam, bushings removablymountedy in the blocks, one bushing being removable from the outer blockfrom the outer end thereof and the other bushing beingremovable from theinner block from the inner end thereof, a draft spindle turnably mountedin and extending beyond the bushings, a thrust nut on the inner end ofthe spindle engaging the adjacent bushing, said beam having an openingadjacent but beyond the inner block of sumcient size to receive the nutand adjacent bushing.

ROBERT G. LE TOURNEAU.

